Crocosmia

Wondering if someone can assist please. I have a huge clump of Crocosmia (not the dreaded Monbretia!) which is probably the forerunner of Lucifer as it is of very similar height, has the nice pleated sword shaped leaves but the flowers are not as red more an orangey red. I am in the process of digging the clump up as it's not in the right spot, what I don't know is what is viable to replant and what isn't. I am lifting huge amounts of corms, some with about 10 corms all stuck together. Are these corms viable or is it just the corms which have produced leaves this season which are worth replanting? I know when I have split clumps of Crocosmia in the past not being sure I have replanted everything! I will also be splitting up a clump of Lucifer as a member of GC would like some, so don't want to send them corms which won't do anything. Thanks in advance.

 

I'm no expert, but I divide mine often because they are so prolific and also pot some clumps up for next year or to give away. I also have Lucifer and the more prolific inherited orangey sort.

I tend to divide with a spade, shake some of the loose earth off and inspect the root system and corms and generally plant as-is in required clump sizes. On looking at the corms there are occasionally sections that are hollow and papery looking and obviously spent so I dispose of these. There are generally also mini corms which I leave as is as I assume they are plumping up ready to produce shoots and flowers the following years. There are also occasionally bunches of corms that look like bunches of grapes and with these I've generally did a bit of guesswork and thinned them out a bit by generally snipping away the less robust looking.

Mine seem tough as old boots (the Lucifers a bit less so) and transplant really well and always do well the next year when in the smaller clumps or even overwintered in pots.

No idea if I'm doing it properly, but seems to work very well for me. Hope that helps.

p.s. pears are ripening nicely and sooooo juicy. Sorry couldn't resist. Did you figure your problem out?

Cheers
GG

 

SO glad YOU are enjoying your pears!!!! Problem with my Pear tree sorted...it is burning on my fire atm!

 

You say Crocosmia i say Montbretia they are all viable IMHO...they'll grow know problems...may take a year to settle down after transplanting but they'll come again

 

I moved some from the front garden to the back last year I dug them up chopped it into 6 with a spade and replanted. I had some flower this year.

Rusty

 

ToMARto, or ToMAYto, Lols?



Just teasing!

 

Oh ok, how come tho what I call Monbretia has very different leaves to those of say Lucifer variety of Crocosmia?, 1 having smooth leaves the other pleated. Agree the flowers, well that's if you can get "Monbretia" to flower much! are very similar.

 

I've been trying to get rid of them for years Silu, it doesn't matter how many I remove they still come up from any corm I've missed! They're as bad as bluebells!

 

I think Monbretia is the orange one, predominate before other more worthwhile varieties appeared ... but other than that one-and-the-same.

I bought a number of varieties of Crocosmia from www.trecanna.com in the Summer - I'll let you know, next year!, if I can actually tell the difference between them ...

Crocosmia produce "chains" of corms - adding a new one each year. I have read that replanting the whole chain gives a stronger plant, although I presume you could discard all but the newest one (best to discard anything damaged / diseased). They like to be congested (and should flower better) so best not to divide them too often - every 3rd year perhaps? and if not too much Faff then only some clumps in a group planting?

Dunno if the individual corms in the "chain" will grow? Worth a try though, if trying to bulk up a new variety for example, but you can take the stolons off varieties like Lucifer and use those to propagate more - but I'm not sure which varieties have Stolons, and which don't.

 

Thanks Kristen, didn't know the information re chains of corms, will do my best to send the GC member only viable Lucifer corms. The GC member being you!!!! Will probably send you the corms and the Sambucas cutting next week as the cutting is just about to loose it's leaves which would seem a good time to prune it down to package size and dispatch to you. I would agree about Crocosmia not liking to be disturbed. The huge clump I am in the process of moving is absolutely solid with corms (been in situ for at least 15 years) yet flowered quite well especially as the clump was in a pretty shady spot.

 

I think I was going to take a cutting of a Sambucus in return for you? Black Tower perhaps? if so I don't think my plant is big enough as yet (bought quite late in the Summer), so might have to wait for next year I fear ... but if it was something else then do please remind me?

 

P.S. I had a Google earlier, but I can't find anything about whether the previous-years' corms can be broken off the chain to bulk up varieties more quickly. If thinning a clump it would be good to retire a few plants, but break up all their corms for mass-propagation.